The “ten dollar Founding Father without a father”

I cry every time this musical is mentioned. I have not had the fortune of seeing it, much to my dismay. This time, however, I wasn’t sad. This time, I was extremely excited to read on Facebook that Lin-Manuel Miranda won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for creating this awe-inspiring (I’ve been told that) story.

Do you want to know how many musicals have one that award? Eight! Nine now, counting Hamilton. This mean in almost ONE HUNDRED YEARS of Pulitzer prizes in drama, only nine musicals have won. If that is not amazing, I don’t know what is.

I’ve seen Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights and if I judge be how amazing the storyline and music is then I know this one is out of this world. This musical tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, re-imagining his life story with the way America is now. It is true that some people are put off by the fact that people of color are portraying people not of color but that is done for a reason. Miranda in an interview said: “Our cast looks like America looks now, and that’s certainly intentional. It’s a way of pulling you into the story and allowing you to leave whatever cultural baggage you have about the founding fathers at the door. We’re telling the story of old, dead white men but we’re using actors of color, and that makes the story more immediate and more accessible to a contemporary audience.”

I know a recommendation can hardly work if the person recommending it has yet to see it but I do highly recommend that you do. And please take me with you.